Root access to TomTom 1MJ01 for Sony XNV-770BT

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TomTom Model(s)
TomTom 1MJ01 for Sony XNV-770BT
TomTom 1MJ01 is a small navigation unit that comes with Sony XNV-770BT head unit.

Until last year, it was possible to mount the contents of TomTom 1MJ01 on the Desktop of a computer, which allowed me to add new car symbols and such.

However, recent updates installed on TomTom 1MJ01 by TomTom MyDrive Connect made it not recognizable as a volume attached to the computer. Rather, when connected to the computer with a USB cable, TomTom 1MJ01 shows up as a network interface with a self-assigned IP address with subnet mask 255.255.255.255.

If I try to manually assign an IP address to TomTom 1MJ01 and ftp into it, it returns the message "Connection refused." Of course, I would guess that I need a set of correct username and password.

How would I gain access to the root level of TomTom 1MJ01 so that I can add new car symbols and such?
 
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I hadn't realized that TomTom had produced a 'Nav3' version of their Sony XNV module. Previously, they were all 'Nav2' devices that just acted like external storage devices -- accessible, as you say, as a 'volume'. The idea of hooking one to anything but TomTom Home took me back until I sorted the 1MJ01 as a newer edition.
Are you saying that you previously accessed this SAME unit using TomTom Home? And that now it expects to be connected by MyDrive Connect? How did you tumble to the change?

If it is now acting like a Nav3 device, it should be showing up with an assigned IP address of 169.254.255.1
In fact, it would be interesting to know what happens if you attempt to access the url http://169.254.255.1/personal/
You can't assign an IP address to a Nav3 device. They're little mini-servers, and MyDrive Connect creates a USB/TCP bridge so that they appear on a PC as a network device.

Once we're clear about what has happened, we can work on the original questions a bit more -- but if they've dumped Nav3 firmware onto these devices, it's going to be a very different experience for you.
 
canderson: I would like to answer your questions one by one.

You asked:
Are you saying that you previously accessed this SAME unit using TomTom Home? And that now it expects to be connected by MyDrive Connect?

My Answer:
YES on both counts. It gets even better.
Yesterday (Saturday), being unable to mount my 1MJ01 as a volume and having tried everything that I could think of, I called TomTom Tech Support. The person who answered and listened to my story (i.e., I used to be able to mount it as a volume but now I can't and the device shows up a network interface.) put me on hold for a long while. When he came back on, he stated the following:
(1) True that I was able to access my 1MJ01 through TomTom Home and that I used to be able to mount it as a volume.
(2) True that TomTom Home no longer recognize the 1MJ01.
(3) True that only MyDrive Connect can now "see" the 1MJ01 and MyDrive Connect does not allow me to access the contents of my 1MJ01.
(4) I am asking him to tell me how to "hack" into my 1MJ01 and that he was not trained to assist me in that capacity. (Of course)

You asked:
How did you tumble to the change?

My Answer:
I bought my original Sony XNV in 2011. But, the unit developed some issues in 2012 and Sony sent me a brand-new replacement. So, my current 1MJ01 is about 4.5 years old. And, until probably the end of 2015, I was able to mount it as a volume. Then, one day, whenI logged into my TomTom account in order to get a new map, (I believe) the website directed me to download MyDrive Connect. The rest is history. My best guess as to what happened is that during a map upload they managed to update the 1MJ01's firmware.

You asked:
If it is now acting like a Nav3 device, it should be showing up with an assigned IP address of 169.254.255.1
In fact, it would be interesting to know what happens if you attempt to access the url http://169.254.255.1/personal/

My Answer:
(I am currently not home and my 1MJ01 is on my computer desk at home. So, please wait for a few hours for an exact answer from me. But, I can tell you that the IP address was in the 169.xxx.xxx.xxx bank with subnet mask 255.255.255.255.)

My Question to you:
When I return home and try to access http://169.254.255.1/personal/, is it OK to do so while my computer is at 192.168.1.xxx with subnet mask 255.255.255.0?

I will return here in a few hours to report the result of attempting to access http://169.254.255.1/personal/. Thanks so much for pointing me in the right direction.
 
I am now home and ready to answer the rest of your question:

You asked:
If it is now acting like a Nav3 device, it should be showing up with an assigned IP address of 169.254.255.1
In fact, it would be interesting to know what happens if you attempt to access the url http://169.254.255.1/personal/

My Answer:
http://169.254.255.1/personal/ has led me to a page that displayed the following:
1MJ01.png


So, I tried to ftp into the root directory, but was not successful:
1MJ01-ftp.png


1MJ01-ftp-refused..png


 
Very good. No, you cannot use FTP to access your new 'server'.
Honestly, I am quite astounded that they were able to cross-compile code for a Nav3 device to run on a Nav2 unit.

So... now that I'm done being amazed...

When you fire up MyDrive, you will note an icon in your system tray - the pair of TomTom hands.
Right click on that icon. Your second option in the list will be "Add community content". That will invoke a browser call to url http://169.254.255.1/pcmi/?locale=en_us that provides you with access to custom content on your device. It's your TomTom device that is serving up that page. From there, the use is pretty intuitive. If you have any questions about it, feel free to ask.
 
One additional question ... when was the last time that you had updated your unit? Sometime in December of '15? I assume this was the first time it had volunteered new firmware like this?

Still attempting to get my jaw off the floor here.
 
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Thank you again, canderson, for your guidance. I have just done two experiments:

*Experiment 1*
I am running Window 10 in Parallels Desktop which is in turn running on a Mac. As I fire up MyDrive Connect in Windows 10 and do the System Tray trick, I do reach the "Add community content to my device" page. Then, as you said, the use should be intuitive.

*Experiment 2*
MyDrive Connect.app on the Mac does not appear to give a trick similar to the System Tray trick in Windows 10. So, in Safari, I simply copy-pasted the URL (http://169.254.255.1/pcmi/?locale=en_us) and hit Return. Voila! I was greeted by the same "Add community content to my device" page.

However, I want to note below the following on a different Mac:
(1) Suppose that, on a Mac, no application is running except the Finder. (NOTE: MyDrive Connect is NOT running on the Mac.)
(2) Connect TomTom 1MJ01 to this Mac.
(3) Launch Safari.
(4) Point Safari to http://169.254.255.1/pcmi/?locale=en_us.
(5) Safari immediately displays the "Add community content to my device" page.

I am quite happy to have found a trivial access to the contents of my TomTom 1MJ01 on the Mac.
But, I want to thank you so much for various information. Until today, I was not too interested in TomTom 1MJ01 per se. That has now changed completely.

To close, there is one mystery about Sony XNV-770BT and TomTom 1MJ01 that I have never understood why.
The U.S. version of this package does not come with Traffic Service whereas the European version does. Since I am a ham radio operator, I am always interested in hardware modification. But, I would assume that it is something impossible to "add" Traffic Service to TomTom 1MJ01 as I travel here in the U.S.
 
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I just noticed your latest message. So, I am glad to answer.

I last updated my TomTom 1MJ01 in December of 2016. That's right, last month. I just don't remember when was the last time I was able to mount my TomTom 1MJ01 on the Desktop, however.


One additional question ... when was the last time that you had updated your unit? Sometime in December of '15? I assume this was the first time it had volunteered new firmware like this?

Still attempting to get my jaw off the floor here.
 
First:
Just be aware that chasing directly to that url on a machine that has never seen a copy of MyDrive Connect will be problematic. MDC doesn't have to be running in order to talk to the device, but it needs to have been installed at some point previous. As part of the installation process for the MDC app, a couple of important things are accomplished. One of which is...

... a driver is installed that, when your TomTom is plugged into a USB port, 'translates' the USB interface to a TCP/IP interface (known as 'bridge' software), and causes the TomTom device to appear as a network card in your PC. You may have seen similar software in the past that, along with a USB dongle, allows serial devices can be run over USB port connections as COM devices. Similar concept.

Second:
You expressed some surprise that you could so readily access a device known as 169.254.255.1. I think perhaps you weren't thinking about the type of device your TomTom appears to be when you said that. Remember that your TomTom isn't just a device attached to your existing network / network card. It's pretending to be a network card in its own right, with control over its own block of addresses (something any PC can do if it has more than one NIC card installed, allowing a PC to even bridge entire ranges of IP addresses together inside the PC). In THIS case, the address of the TomTom is within what is known as a "link local" address block which is an exception to one of the general rules about addressing methods. Worth a google on that term to see why the 169.254.1.0 ~ 169.254.254.255 addresses will behave as they do, but here's a decent description:

Link local addresses are often used to allow machines to automatically have an IP address on a network if they haven't been manually configured or automatically configured by a special server on the network (DHCP). Before an address is chosen from that range, the machine sends out a special message (using ARP which stands for address resolution protocol) to the machines on the network around it (assuming that they also haven't been assigned an address manually or automatically) to find out if 169.254.1.1 is free. If it is, then the machine assigns that address to its network card. If that address is already in use by another machine on the same network, then it tries the next IP 169.254.1.2 and so on, until it finds a free address.
 
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canderson:

Your first point:
Yes, like a Logitech unified USB dongle/transceiver that communicates with their wireless peripherals. And, thanks so much for explaining to me why MDC has had to be run at least once on the computer.

Your second point:
That's intriguing. I have a lot to learn. I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to write in such details.

Today, I made my custom car symbol, uploaded it to my 1MJ01, and voila it works. This, for now, gives me a sense of satisfaction before I return here to read up and learn more.

Thanks again for all of your help!!
 

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